Durham again? seriously?
Durham rocks.
Think so? Start at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Pick any direction and walk for a mile, then tell me Durham rocks.
Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
21–30 of 32 posts
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#22Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because it's awesome! Microbreweries, a wonderful community, excellent food, and you can cross off the #35 place you must visit in 2011 according to the New York Times! (I recommend Scratch for breakfast, Toast for lunch, and Dos Perros for dinner…) (currently waiting for my visa to come through so I can join my wife there, so forgive me for waxing lyrical about the place :))
Durham, a wonderful community?! You ever get more than a block away from the American Tobacco Historic District? I live there. Excepting a mile and a half wide strip that follows I-40 and a couple pockets near Chapel Hill, Durham is filthy, overrun with crime, totally lacking in services and someone important on the city planning commission thinks a Spirograph set makes a handy addition to one's drafting tools.
Did you live in Durham 15 years ago? It's gotten way better. It's not without its flaws, but it isn't nearly as downtrodden as it used to be.
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#23Durham again? seriously?
Because it's awesome! Microbreweries, a wonderful community, excellent food, and you can cross off the #35 place you must visit in 2011 according to the New York Times! (I recommend Scratch for breakfast, Toast for lunch, and Dos Perros for dinner…) (currently waiting for my visa to come through so I can join my wife there, so forgive me for waxing lyrical about the place :))
And Tyler's or Bull McCabe's for the after-dinner drinks. Or maybe Alivia's. Or the Federal. Man, that place has beer COVERED.
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#24Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because it's awesome! Microbreweries, a wonderful community, excellent food, and you can cross off the #35 place you must visit in 2011 according to the New York Times! (I recommend Scratch for breakfast, Toast for lunch, and Dos Perros for dinner…) (currently waiting for my visa to come through so I can join my wife there, so forgive me for waxing lyrical about the place :))
Durham, a wonderful community?! You ever get more than a block away from the American Tobacco Historic District? I live there. Excepting a mile and a half wide strip that follows I-40 and a couple pockets near Chapel Hill, Durham is filthy, overrun with crime, totally lacking in services and someone important on the city planning commission thinks a Spirograph set makes a handy addition to one's drafting tools.
Between American Tobacco (where I lived for 2 years before moving to SF) and the Warehouse District, you've got most of downtown covered. Then factor in the restaurants and bars up and down Main and Ninth streets and that's a safe and clean downtown. Durham's a great town and it's events like this that keeps raising its profile.
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#25Earlier quoted context omitted.
Durham, a wonderful community?! You ever get more than a block away from the American Tobacco Historic District? I live there. Excepting a mile and a half wide strip that follows I-40 and a couple pockets near Chapel Hill, Durham is filthy, overrun with crime, totally lacking in services and someone important on the city planning commission thinks a Spirograph set makes a handy addition to one's drafting tools.
Did you live in Durham 15 years ago? It's gotten way better. It's not without its flaws, but it isn't nearly as downtrodden as it used to be.
No, I live there currently, and if this represents massive improvement what was here 15 years ago, a refugee camp? :P
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
Durham, a wonderful community?! You ever get more than a block away from the American Tobacco Historic District? I live there. Excepting a mile and a half wide strip that follows I-40 and a couple pockets near Chapel Hill, Durham is filthy, overrun with crime, totally lacking in services and someone important on the city planning commission thinks a Spirograph set makes a handy addition to one's drafting tools.
Between American Tobacco (where I lived for 2 years before moving to SF) and the Warehouse District, you've got most of downtown covered. Then factor in the restaurants and bars up and down Main and Ninth streets and that's a safe and clean downtown. Durham's a great town and it's events like this that keeps raising its profile.
Safe and clean compared to what? Newark?
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Between American Tobacco (where I lived for 2 years before moving to SF) and the Warehouse District, you've got most of downtown covered. Then factor in the restaurants and bars up and down Main and Ninth streets and that's a safe and clean downtown. Durham's a great town and it's events like this that keeps raising its profile.
Safe and clean compared to what? Newark?
I'll just leave this here. http://dukechronicle.com/article/morrison-column-distorts-du...
I'd even say it's cleaner than almost all of San Francisco and SF's worst parts (eg, the Mission, Bayview, Hunter's Points) are more violent than Durham's worst parts.
Every urban environment of any size is going to have its problems but there is a definite reality distortion field surrounding how violent and dirty people think Durham is.
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
Safe and clean compared to what? Newark?
I'll just leave this here. http://dukechronicle.com/article/morrison-column-distorts-du... I'd even say it's cleaner than almost all of San Francisco and SF's worst parts (eg, the Mission, Bayview, Hunter's Points) are more violent than Durham's worst parts. Every urban environment of any size is going to have its problems but there is a definite reality distortion field surrounding how violent and dirty people think…
The most interesting part of that article (other than the rather obvious conflict of interest coming from Duke faculty) would be the first comment.
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#29Earlier quoted context omitted.
Can you think of any reasons why it is a particularly bad reason? Last year's Conj seemed to work pretty nicely in Durham.
My only complaint is that it'd have been nicer if it was downtown instead of close to the airport (apparently Durham doesn't have any large event space downtown, which is why it wasn't--or so I was told). I'd have maybe liked to explore Durham a bit more.
This is definitely something we are planning to address this year.
Yes, Clojure/core is headquartered in Durham. We think Durham is a great place to host this event. We also feel we could provide a much better conference by hosting it here. That's not to say in the future we wouldn't consider alternative locations; when it makes sense from a planning point of view.
Durham does have plenty of space we could use for this event. Last year there were other events going on that had most of the local hotels booked, and we could not get a reasonable block of rooms reserved. As another poster mentioned, we are taking care of that problem by nailing these things down earlier.
Downtown Durham does have culture; and we're hoping to enjoy the city with some of our Clojurian friends.
Re: Clojure Conj 2011 Nov 10-12 in Durham, NC
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Between American Tobacco (where I lived for 2 years before moving to SF) and the Warehouse District, you've got most of downtown covered. Then factor in the restaurants and bars up and down Main and Ninth streets and that's a safe and clean downtown. Durham's a great town and it's events like this that keeps raising its profile.
Safe and clean compared to what? Newark?
knieveltech, I'm moving to Durham from North Raleigh next month. Raleigh is definitely "safe and clean". If you are looking for safe and clean in the Triangle, there is always Cary. It has received many accolades for its family-friendliness.
Safe and clean is not really what I'm looking for in a city though. I'm more interested in the culture: food, music, art, interesting people and companies. Also, my wife and I were looking for a cool neighborhood to live in and found ourselves overwhelmed with great options: Trinity Heights, Trinity Park, Duke Park, Watts-Hillandale, Old West Durham, Forest Hills, Burch Ave, West End. Can I walk a mile in any direction and not encounter any sketchy streets? Nope. Durham is a little more integrated and not quite as homogenous as other communities. And I consider that a plus. :-)
I'm really looking forward to living in Durham. There's a lot of exciting new stuff happening here: http://www.startupstampede.com, http://www.launchboxdigital.com, http://www.durhamcookery.com.
If you're into live jazz, there's an awesome set every Thursday night at Whiskey starting at 10:30. Really talented musicians from NC Central's Jazz program show up and jam.
Durham is definitely not without its flaws. There are areas that are unsafe. There are also areas that are suburban wasteland, such as near Southpoint. But the downtown is increasingly alive, filled with people, walkable, and gritty. I'm looking forward to the grit and being around to see Durham continue to change!